Dwarves
These proud, bearded folk are fierce warriors, shrewd merchants, and renowned craftsmen hailing from mountain kingdoms known as dwarfholds. In ancient times, armies of goblinoids drove them out their deep underground homes and onto the surface, where the king Gundr Thunderhand led them to victory over mountain giants and claimed their ancestral home, the Dragonspine Mountains. Over time, several clans emigrated and founded new kingdoms in some of the other mountain ranges of Ohma. Dwarven culture extols honor in battle and bringing your clan and ancestors glory. Physical Description A dwarf is short, wide, and stout, built for hard battle and hard work. All male dwarves begin growing thick beards before adulthood, while the women have long locks of hair and are rugged, but beautiful. A male dwarf with no beard is a strange sight indeed, as most keep their beards finely decorated and styled, but not necessarily long. Their skin, hair, and eye color ranges as much as that of humans, but they tend toward fair skin, red or brown hair, and steely grey eyes. Society Dwarven culture has various nuances that vary from hold to hold, but most are known for being structured and orderly, with emphasis on masonry, craftsmanship, religious faith, and skill in battle. Nearly every dwarfhold is run by a king (both male and female monarchs are referred to as kings, and female kings tend to wear artificial beards for public appearances) who is advised and aided by a high priest, but a few are governed by a council of clan patriarchs and matriarchs. Relations The insular nature of dwarf culture (and the fact that in most holds, only dwarves are allowed to have any political or religious authority) has sometimes been interpreted as racism, and it is absolutely true that many dwarves would rather not deal with anyone outside their own race. By and large, however, dwarves are immovable traditionalists stuck in old ways that have nothing to do with hatred or ignorance for other peoples. They trade freely with foreigners and welcome them into their halls with hospitality, but always keep in mind that these outsiders are not like them, and can’t fully understand their ancient society. Alignment and Religion As a whole, dwarves are fiercely religious, due in most part to their strict adherence to long-maintained tradition. Faotim, god of the forge, is considered by most religious scholars to be the progenitor of the dwarves, and most of the bearded folk worship him. However, they do so not because of his status as their creator; rather, his actions, teachings, and ideals have convinced the dwarves that he is worthy of worship. A lifetime of traditions extoling virtue and honor has bent most dwarves to be lawful good in alignment, but there is a portion that holds the customs themselves above any morality, making them lawful neutral. Adventurers Legend says that when Faotim forged the first dwarf, his eyes were made of diamonds and his fingers were fashioned from gold. Whatever the truth may be, it’s no denying that each dwarf has a strong streak of greed. For most, this is a healthy desire to constantly improve the standing of his or her family. There is the odd dwarf born with ‘more diamonds in his eye’ that sets off into the world in search of a dragon’s hoard. The warlike culture of dwarves tilts these adventurers toward the fighter class, and those who are deeply religious often find purpose as clerics or paladins. Because of their lawful nature, dwarves rarely become barbarians, bards, or rogues. They find the nature magic of druids difficult to grasp, and often aren’t in tune enough with the natural world to make good rangers. Rare is the dwarf who practices the arcane path of a wizard, but rarer still is one born with enough magic in his blood to become a sorcerer.